Why They Came

For Laiba, the pull toward IQ came from a familiar tension among psychology students: the distance between classroom learning and clinical reality. She wanted to explore that gap, but in a space where she could bring in her own ideas rather than follow a fixed structure.

For Arwa, the motivation was different but equally clear. Art had been her comfort since childhood – a personal practice, a way of processing the world. But over time, a question began forming.

The First Days

Their first days shared something in common: uncertainty. Neither knew exactly how participants would respond, or how they themselves would handle the environment.

But that feeling didn’t last. Slowly, uncertainty gave way to curiosity, and the sessions became something both of them looked forward to each week.

What the Sessions Actually Looked Like

The structure they developed was simple by design: arrive, greet everyone, settle into the space, then begin with something light: a short meditation, grounding exercise, or physical movement. After that, they’d move into the main activity.

What they discovered quickly was that predictability had limits. No two sessions were ever the same. Sometimes things went as planned. Sometimes they didn’t, and they had to adjust in the moment.

One session stayed with Laiba in particular. During a simple ball-toss activity, she couldn’t get the ball in while demonstrating. When one of the participants succeeded, they lit up and said, “We did it, even you couldn’t.” It was a small moment, but the happiness and confidence in that reaction made it one she still carries.

Progress Is Subtle

Across three months, both learned to read progress differently — not as dramatic breakthrough moments, but as quiet signals: a moment of eye contact, a participant sitting in the room and observing, a small exchange at the end of a session.

The Hardest and Best Parts

When asked about the most difficult aspect of the work, both pointed to emotional rather than logistical challenges. For Laiba, it was proximity; seeing individuals around her own age struggling in ways that felt very real and personal, ways that didn’t stay in the session room.

For Arwa, the difficulty was navigating unpredictability – not knowing how participants would respond on any given day, and having to hold space for that uncertainty without becoming reactive.

But alongside those challenges were moments that made everything worthwhile.

What Changed

Before volunteering at IQ, both carried assumptions common among students approaching inpatient mental health settings for the first time. Laiba assumed patients might not engage much. Arwa carried a stigma she didn’t fully realise she had.

The experience also clarified something about their futures. Laiba, who balances psychology with graphic design, found insight into where her dual interests might converge. Arwa, with art as a constant thread through her degree, found a similar clarity.

What They’d Tell Other Students